DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamanaka (10,811,805).
Regarding claim 1, Yamanaka discloses an assembly comprising:
a circuit board (2, Fig. 1) having a plurality of electrical components (10, Fig. 3 and 29, Fig. 1);
a plurality of terminal pins (FIUGRE A below) extending from the circuit board;
a first material layer (6, Fig. 3) encases a portion of the circuit board and the plurality of electrical components (Fig. 5) such that the first material layer directly contacts the portion of the circuit board and the plurality of electrical components (Fig. 2 shows a screw 25 inserts into 20d and 62b to make a connection between the circuit board 2 and the first layer 6 together that make the first layer directly contacts the portion of the circuit board; and Fig. 5 shows the first layer directly contacts the components 10 and 29); and
a second material layer (4, Fig. 3) encloses the first material layer and the circuit board (Figs. 4 and 5), the second material layer defines a connector interface portion having a plurality of latch members (31a and 32a, Fig. 3) extending therefrom.
Regarding claim 2, Fig. 5 shows a material of the second material layer different from a material of the first material layer.
Regarding claim 4, Fig. 5 shows the second material layer encases the entire circuit board.
Regarding claim 6, a housing (31b, Fig. 3) having a plurality of tabs (33b) extending therefrom that correspond to the plurality of latch members.
Regarding claim 7, Fig. 3 shows each of the plurality of latch members are resilient members with a U-shaped latch and an opening configured to receive a respective tab from the plurality of tabs of the housing.
Regarding claim 8, Fig. 4 shows when each opening of the plurality of latch members receive the respective tab from the plurality of tabs of the housing, the connector interface portion is releasably coupled to the housing in a snap-fit arrangement.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanaka.
Regarding claim 3, Yamanaka discloses the claimed invention as described above except for the material of the first material layer is a low pressure epoxy; and the material of the second material layer is a thermoplastic material.
It would have been obvious to modify Yamanaka to have the material of the first material layer is a low pressure epoxy; and the material of the second material layer is a thermoplastic material, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416 for better engaging.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-20 are allowed.
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The claims are allowable over the prior art of record for at least the reason that the prior art fails to teach or suggest the housing having a plurality of tabs, the connector assembly releasably coupled to the housing, and the first material layer directly contacts the portion of the pins, as set forth in the claimed combination.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-4 and 6-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANH TAM T LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2094. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-6PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdul Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANH TAM T LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 08/16/26
thanh-tam.le@uspto.gov
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